New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-24
Talk OFB BUYING THE STEWART BUILDING

MAYOR HEwITTs PLAN TO PROVIDE ROOM FOR ALL
THE CITY DEPARTMENTS.
The details to light yesterday OF q scheme to
make the city's bill before the Legislature pro-
vding for the construction of municipal building
sufficiently elastic to enable the city to purchase the
Stew art Building for the OF the city departments
now quartcred at heavy annual rental in the vicinity
of the CITY Hail. Mayor Hewitt is said approve the
pan If not indeed be Its chief sponsor but it does
not receive the support all his heads oil departments
In conversation with gentleman a few days ago the
Mayor presented it's advantages in glowing language
He sad IN eject 49,
"The Stewart Building while scarcely such build
ing "a the city would put up. is very conveniently
arranged tor our nse Slight and Inexpensive altess
tons would be all that is necessary TO make it model
structure for the purposes we have in view Is as
nearly freproof building can be. tie three sides
face thc street and its meets the rear OF the Emil
grant Savings Bank, which Is supposed to be an i'm
passable barrier to flames Therefore. | think az
matter of safety tina place would be quite as desirable
as any We could build In the matter OF cost 1t would
not be mucd expensive than the erection OF an
entirely new structure IN the City Hall PAX. Even
if there should nc delay would take us quite two
wears to build new house, and during that time we
should be put To excessive annoyance and inconyen
ienco for want of roop. The pu chase of the Stewart
Building woulI dispose Of all that Many OF the De,
partments already located there. The rest could
be transferred with very little trouble or expense"
II is not known just how tar the negotiations tor the
binding have zone. Judge Hilton, woo bought 1t
from the Stewart estate, has placed the price at
So 000 000 but is understood that the arrangement
talked about 10y Mr. Hilton and Mr.. Hewitt calls for
s. 100000 This is ut least 5000 900 moro than the
sum intended be devoted under the law to the
municipal building. The Mayor has cautioned almost
every he has spoken to about his scheme TO keep
quiet He feared that those persons ut Albany who
have to be seen before bill be put through
ITS own merits would learn OF it in time to their
customary strike" II ia not admitted by we'll
informed persons tn the Stewart Building ia the sort
OF structure best fitted tor the cys needs IL would
accommodate almost all the departments of the city
government. Several of them the most notable being
the Fnanco Department, already there. The
aggregate rental paid by the city to Judge Hilton tor
Offices in his building Is $54, 5OO.S The whole sum
obtained by him tor rentals does not reach over
$75OOO but the city only about third OF the
space devoted to Offices The Stewart Building Ia
assessed Mt SOC 900. When Judge Hilton bought
il from the Stewart estae he paid 80, 600 tor It,
Those who ad yocate the chase the ground that
it will prevent the obbcry which usually attends great
works OF public Improvement undertaken by the pco
po with the reply that its additional cost will
be larger than which can be spent by AN eI-
ravagant letting OF oontacts Tho other remaining
argument that tine Stewart Building can be had mme
diatey bile IL would take at least two years to build
new is. so far Us goes, unanswcrable. but 1t IL
III gently conend-d hat tho advantage OF obtaining
lust precisely tho svit Of structure required tor public
use would more than compensate for the delay. II
Mayor Hewitt succeeds in his present purpose, the
entire square from the Court House to the Post Office
will be used as pleasure ground